Microbrew Review

MICROBREW REVIEW

June 17, 2004|By KERRY R. CALLAHAN Kerry R. Callahan is an attorney in Hartford. You may reach him at krcallahan@uks.com or by writing to him in care of the Features Department, The Hartford Courant, 285 Broad St., Hartford, CT 06115.

It is that time of year when brewers strive to lighten body. A beer's thirst-quenching capacity becomes more important than boldness of flavor, depth and complexity.

Rich, layered malt flavors are not to be found in many summer brews, and big, bittersweet mid-tastes followed by resonant and lasting finishes are generally taboo. Yet, placed in their context, there are some gems among the summer seasonals.

Moreover, many brewers offer seasonal variety packs that offer both the expected lighter fare and a couple of bottles of more robust stuff. Magic Hat, Long Trail and Buzzard's Bay offer fine ``mix-packs.'' Sam Adams Brewmaster's Collection is especially versatile and desirable, as it includes every thing from Light Beer to Cream Stout, as well as one of my Boston Beer Co. favorites, Sam Adams Scotch Ale.

Harpoon Summer Beer

***

Boston's Harpoon Brewery doesn't fool around with names. The beer's facades, although both innovative and decorative, contain only enough basic information to let you know what's inside. The straightforward approach pairs nicely with Harpoon Summer Beer, brewed in the Kolsch style.

As Germany's ale breweries struggled to compete with the lagers that had, in the late 1800s, taken the world by storm, they moved toward the pale and the light. Yet, as is reflected in Harpoon Summer Beer, they did not, as large American brewers had, give up on hops. Summer Beer is a classic Kolsch and ideally suited to those who desire warm-weather refreshment in a style that's not simply a lightened version of something else.

Harpoon Summer Beer boasts a hop presence from the outset. Yet hops hover on the palate's borders as grainy, cereal flavors color the fore- and mid-tastes. The sweet, malty essence of the entry blends seamlessly with the smooth sweetness of the middle and the clean, fresh, penetrating, but only moderately bitter finish. Harpoon Summer Beer is an authentic alternative to the summer fruits and wheats.

Ipswich Summer Ale

**

Brewed in nearby Ipswich, Mass., and making its first noticeable appearance in the Hartford area, Ipswich Summer Ale is a most welcome addition to a seasonal market that offers the hop-head little.

Beers such as Sam Adams' fine and tasty Summer Ale rely on added flavors, such as the mysterious and zesty grains of paradise, to jump-start the otherwise stalled flavor of light-bodied beer. ISA, however, relies on good old hops to add a heavy dose of flavor to counteract flaccidity, that unwelcome side-effect of lightened body.

ISA smells like a pale ale, grainy, with strong, but not overpowering, spicy, hop accents. The flavor is very American pale ale, with lots of earthy hops, moderate bitterness and a snappy bite. Ipswich Summer Ale may, with some justification, be described as a light APA marginalized by a watery foretaste. Yet its prominent, satisfying and deliciously acerbic conclusion elevates it above the mundane.

Hocus Pocus

***

Hocus Pocus, although not my favorite summer brew, has never failed me when it's my job to supply a summer cookout with an interesting beer. Here's the recipe: (1) purchase enough Hocus Pocus for the gathering; (2) chill it; (3) ensure the proximity of a large orange, a knife, a cutting board and some decent pint glasses; (4) squeeze small- to medium-sized slices of orange into the glass and drop in its remains; (5) pour in the beer, just vigorously enough (takes practice) over the orange remnants. You'll be revered as a hero, a magician, an alchemist.

Hocus Pocus is made with two-row pale and wheat malts and bittered with Columbus and Chinook hops. It's a thirst-quenching, light, but not watery, beer that displays a reasonable and welcome hoppy, earthy and bitter bite in the finish. On its own, it does just fine. The orange thing, however, always seems to bring the house down.

Paper City

Summer Brew

***

Holyoke's native brewery has attacked the challenge of producing a light yet flavorful ale with the same plan envisioned by the brewers of Sierra Nevada Wheat and Ipswich Summer Ale. Paper City has at least equaled the efforts of the venerable Sierra Nevada brand and surpassed its in-state competition in both balance and intricacy of flavor.

The entry is light but not bland, pale malt tastes blending with subtle but palpable, summery fruit flavors. Hops, added very generously, assert themselves in the bittersweet middle and dominate the after-taste. Paper City Summer Brew is nothing terribly new. It's an American pale ale lightened for the summer. Yet, it's so well-measured, so deftly executed, that it surpasses hoppy summer ales of more known pedigree. Paper City Brewery really seems to be coming into its own, and I hope that the trend continues.